Never Regretting
by Smurf2005
Summary: Ichigo is getting ready to leave for college and she decided to tell Ryou she loves him and doesn't regret meeting him. Will she actually do it?


**I would like to dedicate this to my friend, Naut (online name). He has been studying really hard for his finals for the last couple of weeks and he still found time to encourage me to write. **

A/N: Hello all! Smurf2005 here with a brand new _Tokyo Mew Mew _story. I must warn you all, that this is NOT a happy story. I have been feeling a little down lately, and this was the way I chose to let off some steam. It's better then some other things I could be doing.... ANYWAYS, I am going to explain to you all how I got the title. Those of you who have read some of my stories know that I get my titles from songs and stuff, but this one isn't from a song. There is this online game I play, and I have a lover in the game. In the game, you get titles for completing each one. The title you got for the fifth and final one was "Never Regretting". At the end, we were talking about how cheesy it was, but I wanted to write a story to it. Anyway, this story takes place about five to six years after the series ended, so if Ryou and Ichigo seem out of character to you, then they have gotten older. I don't want to hear you complaining about them being different. People change as they grew up. I know I have. Anyways, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tokyo Mew Mew. _Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida does. If I did, well, Ryou and Ichigo would be together forever.

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Never Regretting

_Dear Ryou,_

_I am writing this to tell you that I do not regret meeting you. I thought you were the cause of my problems, but it wasn't you. It was Masaya. He was the one that caused me so much pain. I regret meeting him. But, I don't want to talk about him. Though I don't regret meeting you, there is one thing I regret. I regret not telling you how I felt sooner. If I had, we might have had a happy life together. I love you, Ryou._

_Ichigo_

I looked over the short note and sighed. I crumpled it up and threw it on the floor. My floor was covered in crumpled up notes. Masaya and I had broken up awhile ago, and I was getting ready to go to college far away. I wanted to get out of Tokyo and get away from the things that reminded me of Masaya. There was a part of me that wanted to stay here in Tokyo with Ryou, but the part of me that wanted to leave was stronger. But, I was in love with Ryou. I hadn't told him yet, and I didn't know if I was going to leave without telling him. I had decided on leaving him a note on the day I left.

I stood up and walked over to the window and looked out. It was a beautiful spring day. The cherry trees were in bloom, and the sun was getting low in the sky. I decided to take a walk to clear my head. I grabbed my purse, and paused downstairs to put my jacket and my shoes on. My parents were out of town for the weekend, so I locked the door behind me and continued on my planned walk. I walked around my childhood home, stopping to think about the memories associated with certain spots. I stopped as the sun was setting and I looked around. I had ended up at the cafe I used to work at. I had quit a few weeks ago so I could get ready to leave, and I hadn't been back. As far as I knew, the others were still working there. I took a step toward the door then looked at my watch. It was too late. The cafe had been closed for a few hours. I turned around and started to walk away when I heard a voice behind me.

"Ichigo?" the voice said.

I stopped. I couldn't go any further. I knew that voice. I turned around slowly and found myself facing Ryou. He was the one person I wanted to avoid seeing, and the one I wanted to see the most.

"R-Ryou...." I whispered.

He walked toward me and stopped a few feet from me. He was looking at me intently, his sapphire blue eyes felt like they were staring deep into my soul.

"What are you doing here?" he asked me.

The way he said it pierced my heart like a sword. He sounded like he was angry with me. But, I didn't know what he could have been angry about. I looked down at the ground, my eyes filling with tears.

"I was just taking a walk," I said in a small voice. "I just ended up by chance."

I chanced a glance at his face, and was hurt when I noticed he wasn't looking at me.

"Why don't you come in for some tea and cake?" he finally asked. "It's rather cold out here."

I followed him into the shop and looked around. It was the same as I remembered. I sat down at the table Ryou indicated and he disappeared into the kitchen. I put my head on my hands and closed my fondest memories came from the cafe. I remembered all the times when Mint would neglect her work for tea, when Lettuce would drop plates, and when Pudding would do her tricks. I was going to miss it. But, I had made my decision. I heard the clink of plates and the chair scrapping across the floor. I opened my eyes and saw a piece of strawberry cake and a cup of tea sitting in front of me.

"I love Keiichiro's cakes," I said softly.

Ryou made a noise in his throat and I stopped talking. I didn't know what Ryou was thinking. And I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"Why?" he asked me.

I looked up startled. I wasn't sure what he meant by that.

"What do you mean?" I asked him. "Why what?"

"Why are you leaving? I thought you liked it here."

I was a little bewildered. I thought I told him why I was quitting the cafe.

"Ryou, I told you that I was going to college," I said.

"Yes, I know that. But, why couldn't you go to a college closer? That way, you could stay here with all of us!"

I was quiet while I thought about that.

"I do like it here, Ryou," I said. "But, I need to get away from all the memories of Masaya. That is the main reason I am going to a school far away. If I didn't have those memories, I would have stayed here."

We sat in silence for a few moments, eating the cake and sipping the tea when Ryou spoke again.

"Why did you and Masaya break up? I thought you were all lovey-dovey."

"We were just too different. After that thing with the aliens and The Saint Rose Crusaders, we had to admit we weren't the same people that we were in middle school. It was a mutual break up," I said. "But, just because we both agreed on the same thing, doesn't mean it doesn't hurt any less. We just made the best decision. He was the first guy I had ever fallen in love with. The feelings I have for him won't go away over night. I will always have those feelings."

"I can understand that," Ryou said, quietly. "I still have feelings for the girl I first fell in love with. Maybe I should tell her. I just have a feeling I will regret it if I don't tell her."

My heart sank a little. So, he did love someone. I was hoping it would be me, but I had a feeling it wasn't. I thought it might have been Lettuce. There had always seemed like there was something between him and Lettuce.

I stood up suddenly, and Ryou looked up at me alarmed.

"Ichigo? Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yes. I am just fine. I need to get home," I said.

"I'll walk you home," Ryou said, standing.

"No," I said, turning away from him. "I can walk myself home. Thank you for the cake and tea."

I walked to the door and opened it, and then I stopped in the doorway. I turned around and faced Ryou, tears streaming down my face.

"Ryou," I started. "I don't regret meeting you. Even though it was you who injected me with those cat genes. I don't regret that. It was because of you that was able to make all the friends I had. And... I love you."

I gave him a smile and disappeared through the door. I had left him standing beside the door, looking shocked. I didn't know if he was going to follow me. I made it all the way home and there was no sign of Ryou. I unlocked the door and went inside and as soon as I closed it behind me, I slid down the door and sobbed. I was telling the truth. I didn't regret meeting him and I did love him. I didn't know how he felt, but, that was how I felt.

The End

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A/N: Well, what did you all think? I know it didn't have a happy ending and I am sorry about that. It leaves it open for a sequel, and I'm not even sure if that will have a happy ending. We will just have to see how I feel when and if that time comes around. Well, guess what? It's almost 11 pm, which means I'm not finishing this story early in the morning, which is odd. I wish someone would call me. Sigh. Anyways, I am going to leave the Mew Mew Crew here while I go get something to eat.

Ichigo: Smurf2005 would like us to tell you to read and review!

Keiichiro: She accepts constructive criticism.

Pudding: But, please no flames.

Mint: Too bad she isn't passed out.

Zakuro: ....

Kish: I wonder what she's getting to eat.

Ryou: Why do you care?

Tasuku: I love you Berry! 3

Berry: I love you, too, Tasuku! 333

Smurf: Like they said, read and review. I accept constructive criticism, but please no flames. And I guess Berry and Tasuku love each other. But, we already knew that. And I love Ryou! See you all in my next story!


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